While he shares seminal historical status with his close comrade El Sid

there's no denying his symbolic artistic status and legacy within the film-music hall of fame is illustrious in his own royal right.

From Sidney Lumet’s or Sydney Pollack’s

into Norman Jewison’s or J. Lee Thompson’s

through Richard Brooks’s

plus (a particular favorite) Peter Collinson’s not to mention a little notable called

or

Jones’ deft and distinctive musical touch has enriched, enhanced and made memorable more movies than many of those (overly) lauded these less-distinguished days (and we’re not even mentioning his collaborations with various pop stars and grade-A singers ala Sinatra and others).

YOUR takes on this –

meaning his contribution to the art and craft of that musical culture all of us so unabashedly (and unapologetically) adore?

A much better arranger/producer than a composer though, both in pop and filmscore. He's all about the orchestration. I learn so much about art just listening to how he chooses to adapt and structure already exisiting material. His judgement, ambition and timing is unbeatable. Even in situations where he was dropped in to replace someone much loved at the last minute (THE GETAWAY or the Donna Summer album), he does what he does better than anyone.

Although best known for the jazz, big band, bosa nova and funk, Q also crammed in quite a bit of "edu-tainment" in bridging black musical heritage with contemporary pop on his later albums. He showed a generation brought up on rap and new jack the genius of Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and James Moody with Kool Moe Dee on his 1989 cover of BIRDLAND. Q's constant fight to enlighten the world about black music and cultural heritage leaves me in awe. HIGHLY inspiring. That neutral, warm feeling of equality on everything he touches...

Sometimes when I'm SERIOUSLY down, I pop on one of the Michael Jackson records or one of the Q soundtracks/pop albums, and all the inspiration all comes back.

The cue for Steiger impaling his own hand at the end of Pawnbroker is a brilliant piece of film music. It encapsulates the traumatic emotional release of the main character to electrifying effect. Talk about nailing the moment (no pun intended).

I only have The Italian Job - which is a classic - and In the Heat of the Night/Mr.Tibbs! which is ace. Especially, Shagbag,Hounds and Harvey, i think it is, a brilliant track from In the Heat of the Night, that sputters out at the end to match the chase onscreen. I really should have more Quincy Jones stuff.

Y’know, there was a tyme when we had virtually all of Q’s soundtracks (in prehistoric album form) and other musical ventures with A&M before our entire collection – we mean, EVERYTHING, you hear? – was stolen, tossed away or sold by some sub-humans we grievously put our profoundly misplaced trust in. Modern barbarity at its most unwholesome. Still, as Katharine Hepburn says in The Lion in Winter, “My losses are my work.” So the blame is fully on our doorstep. Anyway, onwards und upwards …

Oh, and Heath Old Son, for those of us who haven’t yet caught The Pawnbroker, we forgive your innocent faux pas (at least now we’ll know what to anticipate aurally!)

And you’re aces on, Onya, these two efforts

are wondrously well-worth seeking out.

We also fervently feel with Od

is a delightful hidden surprise for those who haven’t sampled its pleasures; it sounds totally unlike anything Q unveiled (and was the earliest indication it would’ve been bond-fully intriguing if he ever had been allowed to take a crack at the 007 code).

As for the never-ending envelope of exposure to all that awaits within our wacky wondrous world of film-music, Le, hay, don’t feel bad, amigo. That’s part of the profound fun attached to our endless enjoyment; the layers never stop unraveling, always bringing forth stimulating new tidbits we never knew but now do – and the really KOOL part about it all is: it’s infinitely expanding! Kinda like Christmas everytime, all the time.

Nah, this ain’t one of his soundtracks; aside from the usual unique assortment of melodies, it just happens to be our favorite Q cover …